By Express News Service
BHOPAL: Milk will be served three days a week to children aged between three and six years in Anganwadis across Madhya Pradesh, the state cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided on Tuesday.
According to the state government’s official statement, the cabinet decided to re-start the regular distribution of milk for 3 days in a week to children of Anganwadi centers in the 3 to 6 age group by the Madhya Pradesh Mid-Day Meal Programme Council (Panchayat and Rural Development Department) from January-2021.
In 2019, while there was a Congress government in power in MP, then women and child development minister Imarti Devi had mooted the idea of serving eggs to kids at Anganwadi centers, which had kicked up a political row in the state. In 2020, the Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist minister Imarti Devi (who was then the WCD minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government) had again rooted for serving eggs to kids at Anganwadis to fight malnutrition, but the idea was disapproved by the CM. Devi, just a few weeks later lost the assembly by-elections as BJP candidate.
The Tuesday’s state cabinet meeting also decided to establish women police stations in 42 districts to curb crime against women and for the smooth registration and research of the crimes committed. Out of the 52 districts in the state, ten districts already have women police stations.
There will be Zero financial burden on the establishment of women police stations in the remaining 42 districts by rationalizing a total of 1470 forces sanctioned for zones, districts and women police stations. The decision was in line with the 2021-22 annual budget announcement of one women police station in each of the 52 districts.
The Cabinet also decided to implement the ‘Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’ launched by the Central government under the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign for the next 5 years (from 2020-21 to 2024-25) in the state. In the next 5 years, an amount of Rs 481.66 crore will be spent on integrated development and management of fisheries in the state.
Further, the cabinet gave a revised administrative approval of Rs 585.21 crore for total irrigated area of 19,785 hectares for Parasdoh Medium Lift Irrigation Project in Betul district. The cabinet also granted revised administrative sanction of Rs 102.45 crore for Murki Medium Irrigation Project of Dindori district.
Also, the cabinet decided to implement the National Animal Disease Control Program of the central government in the state as per the proposal received by the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Department.